We have built an application that uses packages and components. When we debug the application, the “Event Log” in the IDE often shows the our BPLs are being loaded without debug information (“No Debug Info”). This doesn’t make sense because all our packages and EXEs are built with debug.
_(each project) | Options | Compiling_
[ x ] Assertions
[ x ] Debug information
[ x ] Local symbols
Symbol reference info = "Reference info"
[ ] Use debug .dcus
[ x ] Use imported data references
_(each project) | Options | Linking_
[ x ] Debug information
Map file = Detailed
We have 4 projects, all built with runtime pacakges:
- Core.bpl
- Components.bpl
- Plugin.bpl (uses both #1 & #2)
- MainApp.exe (uses #1)
Problems Observed
1) Many times when we debug, the Components.bpl is loaded with debug info, but all values in the “Local Variables” window are blank. If you hover your mouse over a variable in the code, there is no popup, and Evaluate window also shows nothing (the “Result” pane is always blank).
2) Sometimes the Event Log shows “No Debug Info” for various BPLs. For instance, if we activate the Plugin.bpl project and set it’s Run | Parameter’s Host Application to be the MainApp.exe, and then press F9, all modules seems to load with “Has Debug Info” except for the Plugin.bpl module. When it loads, the Event Log shows “No Debug Info”. However, if we close the app and immediately press F9, it will run it again without recompiling anything and this time Plugin.bpl is loaded with debug (“Has Debug Info”).
Questions
1) What would cause the “Local Variables” window to not display the values?
2) Why are BPLs sometimes loaded without debug info when the BPL was complied with debug and all the debug files (dcu, map, etc.) are available?
For our particular situation we were able to fix the issue by combining the Core.pbl and Components.bpl into a single BPL. Now all modules are loaded with debug info and the occasional issue where the Locals Window wouldn’t display values for the variables is resolved.